We NEED your support. More specifically, the author of this article needs your support. If you've been enjoying our content, you know that a lot of work goes into our stories and although it may be a work of passion, writers gotta eat. If just half our readers gave 1 DOLLAR a month, one measly dollar, we could fund all the work from StuChiu, DeKay, Emily, Andrew (and even Vince). If you contribute 5 DOLLARS a month, we invite you to join our Discord and hang with the team. We wouldn't bother you like this if we didn't need your help and you can feel good knowing that 100% of your donation goes to the writers. We'd really appreciate your support. After all, you're what makes all this happen. Learn more

According to Vasilii, he was benched out on his own request because of a cold, but he said having sex has since hurt his performance. He is working now to correct his situation so that the team can improve, and he has already “adjusted to abstinence.”

Vasilii is a somewhat controversial figure in Chinese esports after his run ins with equipment destruction on Vici Gaming and his LSPL team, IN Gaming. Newbee signed him before the League of Legends Pro League summer split, and he became the starting AD Carry during the cross-conference stage of the split. The roster changed to feature top laner Fan “Skye” Qifang, mid laner Shin “Coco” Jinyeong, Vasilii, and support Zhang “Mor” Hongwei. Following the change, Newbee embarked on a winning streak, taking down every team it faced for four weeks with the exception of EDward Gaming.

In Week 6, Vasilii disappeared from the roster, but Newbee continued to win. Many fans speculated that he was simply benched for performing poorly or because the anger issues he had on his previous teams re-emerged. In Week 8, however, Newbee had its first poor results since their roster change, losing to both last place Group B team Jing Dong and first place Group B team Oh My God.

After Newbee defeated LGD Gaming 2-0 without Vasilii on the team, fans assumed new starting AD carry, Lin “Lwx” Weixiang, would take Vasilii’s place permanently. In order to defend himself, Vasilii felt moved to post one of the most bizarre excuses yet seen in esports for his absence:

“Because I caught a cold before, I asked to be subbed out for the sake of the Club’s results,” he wrote. “The Club maintained its winning streak, so it wasn’t necessary for me to play, and I let myself indulge in sensual pleasures for a while. This led to me playing poorly in solo queue, but last week we lost, so I started to adjust myself to a more abstinent lifestyle. After about two days, I had already adjusted myself (to abstinence). Those of you only watching the news shouldn’t be so quick to pass judgment on me. It’s incorrect. You can check on my results in Korean solo queue rather than take my word for it. I will continue to play and try to correct this matter.”

As odd as his statement sounds, Vasilii is not the first member of the LoL esports community to speak out in favor of abstinence. Previous EDward Gaming CEO Huang “San Shao” Cheng made a long “San Shao Says” episode cautioning players from having girlfriends and commending the abstinent lifestyle. In North America, former professional player and current LCK caster Alberto “Crumbz” Rengifo made a popular video “Girlfriends are Ruining the LCS,” arguing that young pro players who have never had to juggle relationships before will have their performance suffer if a girl becomes a part of their lives.